Marseille to win Spartak Moscow decider
Chelsea and Arsenal's matches will receive the most hype of tonight's Champions League ties, but the main point of interest in both is how they respond to defeats on Saturday, as Chelsea have already qualified and Arsenal will more than likely go through even if they lose to Sporting Braga.
If it's an absolutely decisive game between two teams fighting with one another for a place in the knockout rounds - a phase of the competition neither are too familiar with - that you want to see, the early kick-off between Spartak Moscow and Marseille in Group F is the one you should tune into.
Marseille's dismal start to the season severely compromised their chances of avoiding a fourth successive group-stage exit. Defeats to Spartak and Chelsea saw them six points off the pace after two games but a morale-boosting pair of victories over MSK Zilina, coupled with two Spartak losses to Chelsea, has seen the French champions catch the Russian club.
Spartak still boast the head-to-head advantage after winning in France so to be guaranteed a rare trip into the last 16, Marseille need to triumph by a margin other than 1-0 in the Russian capital. Their hosts are almost certain to overcome whipping boys MSK Zilina in their final encounter, so a draw this evening probably won't be enough, even if they beat Chelsea on the final day.
Can Didier Deschamps' men deliver? Our hunch is yes. They've got so many scorers in their side, as demonstrated by the 7-0 romp away to Zilina and the fact ten different players have found the net for them this term - among them Andre-Pierre Gignac, Lucho Gonzalez, Loic Remy and Andre Ayew.
The Ligue 1 favourites have lost just once in ten since being outplayed by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and have come out on top in four of their last five away fixtures, while Spartak head into this tie on a four-match winless run. Our advice therefore is to back Marseille at [2.9].
Spartak Moscow v Marseille
Kick-off: 5.30pm
Live on Sky Sports 4
Disagree with our verdict? Then back marginal favourites Spartak at [2.76]...
Published: 23 Nov 2010
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